


What will we become?

by Skiiibby_avi



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Feels, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Dorks in Love, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, Love Triangles, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:00:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25267261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skiiibby_avi/pseuds/Skiiibby_avi
Summary: Rey and Ben have been best friends since college. Their bond rivals everything else and their connection runs deep. They're happy to fill up each other's lives this way, ignorant of what others say and of what they both really want.So what happens when Rey suggests that they help each other look for partners? Will it go down smooth or will it crumble the path they've walked on for so many years?
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Rose Tico, Ben Solo - Relationship, Kylo Ren/Rey, Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey & Ben Solo, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo
Comments: 14
Kudos: 78





	What will we become?

"So you're going to sit there, and tell me that I'm wrong!?"

"Of course you're wrong!! Is that even a question!?" Poe says emphatically, almost breaking into a sweat. 

"I can't fucking believe this." sighs Finn, wearing an expression which can only be called down-right betrayed. He runs a hand through his hair in exasperation.

"My boyfriend has the fucking audacity to sit there and tell ME, that the fucking biscuits in Brave will be tastier than Tiana's beignets."

He turns to Rose, who is still breathlessly laughing. Her face is pink, and tears are sliding down her cheeks as she tries her best to stop, and fails.

The din of laughter and the scraping of forks fills the air of Maz's diner. Breakfast time is really busy, and if you aren't here early, getting a seat is next to impossible. But when you've been coming here almost every Sunday for the past 4 years, the staff is like family and there's always a booth reserved. 

Breakfast at Maz's is a tradition that started some time in college. They had all been deathly hungover, and gathered here to pump themselves full of proteins and carbs. But the food was so good, and the aura of the place was so much like home, that they kept coming back, hungover or not. 

Though it had been years since they left college and their lives had changed, their love for the diner and each other remained the same

Rose is still trying to catch her breath, when Rey reaches their table with a greeting exclaim of "Good morning, nerds!" 

She slides into the booth and scoots over to Rose. The smell of sizzling hashbrowns and freshly made coffee wafts past her nose, and she inhales deeply, feeling instantly comforted. 

She turns to signal the waitress behind the counter with a smile and a wave. The lady winks back with a smile on her lips and hurries towards the kitchen. They have been coming here for so long that all she has to do is let her presence known, and she'll get her stack of fluffy pancakes drenched in syrup and whipped cream. 

"So, what are you guys talking about?" asks Rey, eager to get all the details about whatever happened the past week. 

"Rey, listen. I'm going to ask you something and if you don't fucking agree to me, I'm going to lose my shit" starts Finn, so dead serious that Rose bursts out laughing while Poe just rolls his eyes. 

He's about to start on his rant about beignets when Rey looks towards the door and waves frantically, her sunshine smile playing at her lips. Rose cranes her neck to see a certain tall individual walk over to them. 

Ben strides over to the table, hair slightly damp and smelling of soap, and seats himself next to Rey as comfortably as he can. He stretches an arm out just behind her shoulders, placing it on the edge of the booth. 

She leans slightly into his arm, an unspoken acknowledgement of his presence. 

"What are we talking about?" he asks while smiling to the waitress who takes it as a cue to bring over his Sunday morning cup of extra-strong black coffee. 

"So glad you're here because this is important." Finn starts again, glancing over at Ben and meeting everyone's gaze. "Poe here" he says with a slight sneer, "thinks that those pasty white cookies from Brave are better than Princess Tiana's beignets! Can you fucking believe that shit!?" he exclaims, fuming.

"Oh my god babe!" says Poe, clearly done with this conversation. "I just said they looked better! If you keep behaving that way, I'm going to call Prince Charming the most handsome, and not Flynn Rider!" 

"You wouldn't dare!" Finn hisses, pointing a finger at his beloved. "Don't even go there, alright?" 

They continue bickering as Rey and Rose laugh endlessly, gasping for breath and slapping the table while Ben quietly chuckles. 

A few minutes and some "Calm down, Finn" 's later, the conversation moves past Disney desserts and into real life, as Rose starts talking about her anticipated promotion. 

"I mean, I've pretty much single handedly pushed out our new software" she says matter-of-factly. "It's always been my dream to head my own team. I hope I don't get disappointed" 

"Babe. You're the most diligent employee I've ever seen. There's no way they'll pass you up." she says reassuringly, with a gentle squeeze of her hand. 

They continue on talking about their respective jobs and a loud burst of laughter erupts as Ben grumbles about an employee who seemingly forgot to close all his tabs and showed the entire board an interesting screengrab of some strange adult entertainment site. 

However conversation comes to a pointed halt when ceramic plates, piled high with waffles, pancakes, bacon and sunny side ups reach the table. 

For a while, there's an uncharacteristic silence all over the table as they stuff their mouths with sweet, doughy goodness. Sounds of slurping and chewing, and moans of contentment surround the booth. 

It's Finn who starts speaking again, swallowing a particularly delicious bite of waffles. "So, we're going on a trip." he says in a sing-song voice, a smile ghosting his lips. 

"Oh my gosh, where?" Rey inquires eagerly, mouth still filled with an ungodly large bite of pancakes. 

"We were thinking Bora-Bora" Poe says, glancing over at Finn. "I mean, what better way to celebrate our 3 year anniversary than cocktails and the beach?" 

"Oh my god," say Rey and Rose in unison. 

"I can't believe it's been three years already." Rey states with a nostalgic sigh. 

"I still remember Poe begging to climb up on my shoulders during Hux's party in junior year" Ben says with a grin "just so he could look at Finn on the other side of the room." 

A blush creeps up Finn's cheeks as Poe smiles unabashedly, proud to have his attraction spoken about. Poe continues talking about their anticipated itinerary, when Rey speaks. 

"Shit guys, you're making me jealous." she audibly grumbles, expertly working the knife and fork to cut out another bite of pancakes and smearing it in the syrup. 

"I miss this! I miss what you have! I miss going on dates, miss going out for dinner. I miss getting action!" she continues, frustration about her predicament pouring out. 

"I mean, since that disaster that was Mitaka, I've not gone out on a single date. Yeah I was busy with my degree and everything, but now, I need someone, you know." she laments, looking up from her plate to meet the sympathetic gaze of her coupled friends. 

"Well, we have tried to set you up Peanut." says Finn, "but it never seemed to work out, not that it's your fault. And most of the people we hang out with now are couples." 

"I know, I know. I don't mind going out to meet someone but I need a wingman, guys." Rey laments "I need someone equally single who can help me drum up business!" 

"I wish I could help, babe but I hardly think me and Armitage could do any winging." Rose expresses, clearly feeling guilty that she can't help her best friend out. "Anyway, all my friends are either married or engaged" she continues, taking a bite of her bacon "except you and Ben, of course. "

"Yeah," she says, her gaze downcast "just me and Ben" 

She's about to cut out another thick slice of her food when suddenly, Rey's eyes widen and light up. Her eyebrows are lifted high, like she's just been enlightened with the best idea in the world. 

"Fuck, Rose! You're a genius!" Rey exclaims, in an ecstatic burst of happiness. "Me and Ben could totally be each other's wingmen." 

She hardly finishes her sentence when Ben starts coughing violently, having choked on his coffee. The same Ben who had been pretty damn quiet the whole time they had the conversation going. 

Rey slaps his arm, clearly excited at her brilliant idea. She's hardly aware of anything happening around her, so she doesn't catch the look that Finn, Poe and Rose exchange. 

He's still trying to clear his throat when Rey begins to speak. 

"Ben, listen to me. I have a great idea. You're single. I'm single. We've been best friends like the whole of college." she says, her eyes glinting. "You know me like the back of your hand. And so do I. We can totally find the perfect person for each other."

Ben turns his head properly to look her straight in her eyes. There's a look on his face that Rey doesn't quite catch. It's…nothing she's ever seen before and her brows furrow slightly in confusion.  
But then he speaks. 

"So, we'd go out together and help each other find people that we can date?" he asks, still looking at her. 

"....yes." Rey says, her voice now tinged with doubt. She averts her gaze downwards and says sheepishly, the confidence in her idea wearing off "Well, yeah.. I mean….if you don't want to…"

"Why not?" 

She looks back up at him again, with unhidden surprise. 

"I've been thinking about meeting someone new too." he says, with a nod of his head. "I'm not getting any younger and god knows my mom calls me every day asking for grandchildren" he complains slightly. 

"I think it's a pretty good idea, actually." he says with finality, conveying his agreement. 

"Yes!!! I knew I could count on you, Benny." Rey exclaims, her toothy grin lighting up her face. She hugs his middle with childlike joy and he brings his arm around her shoulders, pressing a slight peck on her head.

They're huddled that way for a few seconds, when she takes a glance at her watch and curses out loud, practically ejecting herself from the crook of Ben's arm. 

"Fuck! I'm late!" 

"Late for what?" Ben asks quizzically, drinking up the last gulp of his coffee. 

"Well….." she says shyly "I kinda promised Leia that I'd help her plant her roses" 

"Oh my god." Ben groans, rolling his eyes as Rey lets out a laugh. 

It seems like he's annoyed, and maybe he is, but he feels something elsewhich he doesn't understand. It pulls at his heartstrings and makes him feel giddy but he doesn't let it show. 

"Get in the car then. I'd better pay mom a visit too." he says, moving out of the booth, with Rey following behind him. He walks ahead of her, but extends his hand behind him and Rey happily puts her hand on his. 

They're out of earshot when Rose slumps her head in her hand and lets out a loud groan.

"How stupid can two people be, guys?" she says into her hand, clearly frustrated. 

"This is the second worst thing she's ever done" Poe says with a chuckle, shaking his head at what he's just witnessed. 

"What's the first?" Rose asks, raising her head and looking pointedly at him. 

"Not dating Ben." 

XXXXXXXXX

"We're probably almost there", she thinks as she looks out the window and sees the rolling green fields. 

Even though she has grown up in Jakku, a desert town, lush green vegetation and plants comfort her. She feels calm and at-peace, just how she is feeling now. Paired with the hum of the engine and the presence of Ben beside her, she feels as if she's just where she needs to be. She closes her eyes and lets the serenity of the moment wash over her. But she is soon broken out of her reverie when Ben speaks.

"So," he says eyes still affixed on the road. "How are we supposed to go about this...dating thing?" 

"Well," Rey speaks, "it's pretty simple really. We both go out together, dressed fancy and we help each other find someone suitable." 

"And what if we don't find anybody?" he asks, taking a smooth turn to the right, a tell-tale sign that they're about to reach his parents house. 

"Then we just take each other home." she says, matter-of-factly, turning to meet his eyes. 

The look on Ben's face isn't one of surprise. Perhaps it is, but god, there's something else there that makes her stomach lurch and her heart thump. Her brain screams at her to dissipate the situation and she laughingly says,

"Ben, I was just kidding. If that happens, we'll just go home and call it night. Then, try some other weekend."

"Obviously" he says, parking the car and killing the engine. 

"Anyway, we're here." he tells her, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel and looking at his house. 

Rey gazes at the Solo family house, a sprawling mansion situated on the outskirts of the city. A place that she recognized as home, even if she never said it out loud. 

The first time she had been here, it felt like a fantasy. The ivory pillars, the ivy creeping up the house, the sprawling garden. The entire scene looked like someone had picked it out of a fairytale and placed it there. It was her first indication that Ben came from serious money, something that she later came to know was attributed to his family's ownership of renowned publishers, Skywalker & Co.

She steps out of his Mercedes and walks towards the stairs, Ben right behind her. She doesn't even have to ring the bell, because Leia is already there, pulling her into a tight hug. She smells like soft lemony soap and Rey leans into her scent and warmth. Contentment washes over her. 

Leia gives her a peck on the cheek, and moves to hug her tree of a son. Rey lets out a giggle at the way Ben stoops to hug his mother, and her heart flutters at the sight. Just a tiny bit. 

They both head over inside past the living room, to the kitchen, and just then, Han enters from the backdoor dressed in paint covered overalls and mud covered boots. 

"Rey!" he exclaims, "I've not seen you in so long, kid." 

"Oh my god, Han! Keep your shoes outside!" cries Leia, annoyed at the muddy footprints that have formed a track on the wooden floors. But Han doesn't seem to care much, or at all, as he hugs Rey. He moves over to hug Ben, and though it's a bit awkward and she notices Ben's ear tinge pink a bit, she knows they're both comforted by the act. Even if they won't speak of it. 

"Kid, thank god you're here" he says to Ben, "cause I need your help fixing the greenhouse." 

"Jesus dad, how many times will you keep fixing that damn thing?" he says. "Just get a new one!"

"Are you out of your mind, boy? I built that thing myself, and it's never going anywhere." he says, turning to head out to the backyard again. 

"Well, that's why it keeps fucking breaking." replies Ben exasperatedly, as he follows his dad out the backdoor, and hears his mother guffaw. 

"Now that they're out of our hair" says Leia softly, turning to face Rey with a smile "let's say hello to the flowers." 

XXXXXXXXX

They're engrossed at potting the geraniums, patting down the soil and placing the pods gently inside, when Rey mentions her "wingman" idea.

"So basically, we'll help each other find the perfect person, you know." she rambles on, as she shovels soil into the tub carefully. 

"I know Ben well enough to know what kind of person he'd like, and so does he. We'll go out to a bar or something, and we'll scout around and then-" she stops speaking, when she realises Leia hasn't said a word. 

Rey looks up at her, and she sees Leia looking at her. There is a quizzical expression in her eyes and her lips are set in a straight line. Rey begins to feel naked, stripped under her gaze. 

"Is…is something wrong?" Rey asks, her voice almost a whisper. 

"You and Ben want to look for partners….for each other?" 

"Well….yeah", Rey answers, like a student who has been asked a question by the teacher but has no idea what the answer is. 

Leia continues looking at her and a strange moment hangs in the air. But in a second, Leia's eyes soften and her lips form a tiny smile. "I understand.", she says warmly. "However, i think it's time for lunch so we should be heading back inside."

Leia gets up gingerly, shaking the soil off her gloves, and heads inside into the kitchen while Rey sits there, wondering what had just happened and what was the look that Leia gave her. 

XXXXXXXX

By the time they leave the "Solo manor", as Rey called it, dusk settles in. The sky is splattered in pink and orange hues with the blackness of the night creeping in like spilled ink. . 

Even though she is tired from all the planting and Leia's specialty spaghetti and meatballs are settled like a comfortable weight in her belly, she feels on edge. All she thinks about, over and over again, are Leia's eyes. The question she had asked blared in her brain like an alarm. Rey pushes herself deeper into the seat and closes her eyes, willing her body to shut down. 

When they finally reach her apartment, Rey is snoring softly, the journey having put her right to sleep. Her head lolls gently as her chest rises and dips with every breath. 

Ben is forever Ben and Rey is always Rey, and so he does what he's meant to do. He stops the engine as quietly as possible, and climbs out of the car. Going over to Rey's side, he opens her seat belt and picks her up in his arms.

As he stands in the elevator, she nuzzles her face into his chest, clearly deep in sleep. Though it shouldn't, his heart clenches. 

When he's finally managed to wrangle her door open and lay her gently on her bed, he turns to leave her bedroom. But her voice stops him in his tracks. 

"Thanks, Ben." she mumbles, awake enough to speak but not enough to raise her head. 

"Goodnight, Rey." he whispers, and as quietly as possible, makes his way out of her apartment. 

When he is finally seated in his plush car, and the key ignites the engine to a purring start, he wonders what his life has become.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys. I really hope you enjoyed reading this 🥺 It's my first fanfiction in a long time and I don't have a beta so I'm sorry for any mistakes that could have crept it. I'll update as frequently as possible 🙆
> 
> If you like it, please leave me a lil kudos and gimme a comment belowww 💗❤️🙏


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